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Challenging Limits

28th October 2020

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by National Lottery Good Causes

The founder of this project used an almost fatal incident to motivate him to create a project which helps men in his area keep fit. Now, in recognition of his work in his community, a special bench is being dedicated to him.

Mal Emerson and the bench dedicated to him at Port Talbot, South Wales

Mal Emerson was nearly killed after an accident at the Port Talbot steel works in 1997.

For years after he struggled to improve his fitness and was only able to walk a few hundred metres at a time.

Then in 2017 he set up Marauders Men’s Health a walking group for men quickly found himself being joined by up to 50 others, many of them suffering from injuries, debilitating conditions and poor health.

The group quickly became a place for the walkers to share their concerns about their health and their own mental wellbeing, often traditionally a taboo subject for many older men.

However, with the arrival of lockdown bringing the entire group together became impossible.